AD Ports Group, the operator of industrial cities and free zones in Abu Dhabi, has signed an agreement with Dutch geodata company Fugro to expand the use of autonomous and remote technology in the Middle East's maritime industry.
The partnership aims to create a platform to put in place these innovations, which comply with the UAE's standards, and also ensure the efficiency and safety of companies' assets in the sector, AD Ports Group said in a statement on Wednesday.
The agreement was signed by Mohamed Al Shamisi, managing director and group chief executive of AD Ports Group, and Mark Heine, chief executive of Fugro, on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec).
Through this agreement, "we are expanding the range of remote and autonomous technologies available for the maritime sector, as we strive to build a safer, more sustainable and more impactful future”, Mohamed Al Yahyaei, chief harbour master of AD Ports Group, said.
The AD Ports Group and Fugro started their partnership in March this year before the arrival of the region’s first unscrewed surface vessel (USV), which will be stationed at Abu Dhabi's Al Mirfa Port.
USVs are unmanned vessels that can be configured for maritime missions, such as gathering ocean data for research. They are more versatile and less costly to operate and maintain, according to Fortune Business Insights.
The global market for USVs is expected to hit a revised value of $1.1 billion by 2027, from $534.9 million in 2020, growing at a compound annual rate of 10.5 per cent, according to Research and Markets data.
The industry is also increasingly digitising as it seeks to streamline operations. The global maritime digital products and services market is expected to more than double to $345bn by 2030, from $159bn in 2021. It is up almost a quarter from a previous projection of $279bn, a study from maritime consultancy firm Thetius showed.
Under the agreement, AD Ports Group and Fugro will develop procedures for the use of USVs in accordance with UAE regulations, as well as establish an approved remote and autonomous testing site for USVs.
The partnership also aims to create an industry-compliant training programme for UAE citizens and international mariners, covering the operation of USVs.
It is in line with AD Ports Group's agreement with the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council last month, in which they teamed up to create 7,500 jobs for UAE citizens in the next five years as it aims to hasten the pace of recruitment in the private sector.
“The introduction of our USV technology marks an exciting moment for the maritime industry in the region. The support we have received from AD Ports Group has played a large role in making this a reality,” said David Washbrook, director of marine asset integrity for the Middle East and India at Fugro.
AD Ports Group continues to explore more technology to boost its operations.
Last month, its digital arm Maqta Gateway entered into a partnership with Emirates Post and SkyGo to test drone deliveries in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, a number of UAE companies are already tapping into the potential of USVs.
UAE defence conglomerate Edge and Israel Aerospace Industries signed an agreement last year to jointly develop advanced USVs for military and commercial use.
WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
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ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland, Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope
Defenders: John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Gary Cahill, Ashley Young, Danny Rose, Trent Alexander-Arnold
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, Raheem Sterling, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fabian Delph
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
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MATCH INFO
Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
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MATCH INFO
Europa League final
Who: Marseille v Atletico Madrid
Where: Parc OL, Lyon, France
When: Wednesday, 10.45pm kick off (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Moral education needed in a 'rapidly changing world'
Moral education lessons for young people is needed in a rapidly changing world, the head of the programme said.
Alanood Al Kaabi, head of programmes at the Education Affairs Office of the Crown Price Court - Abu Dhabi, said: "The Crown Price Court is fully behind this initiative and have already seen the curriculum succeed in empowering young people and providing them with the necessary tools to succeed in building the future of the nation at all levels.
"Moral education touches on every aspect and subject that children engage in.
"It is not just limited to science or maths but it is involved in all subjects and it is helping children to adapt to integral moral practises.
"The moral education programme has been designed to develop children holistically in a world being rapidly transformed by technology and globalisation."
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)
Saturday
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)
Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)
Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)
Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)
Sunday
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)
Asian Cup 2019
Quarter-final
UAE v Australia, Friday, 8pm, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
Schedule:
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
